Estimates of the consumption of foodstuffs in Australia are compiled by taking the production of a commodity, adding to it any imports, deducting from it any exports, and taking account of changes in the levels of stocks. Because consumption of foodstuffs is measured, in general, at producer level, no allowance is made for consumer wastage, which results in overstating consumption to some extent.

The estimates of consumption per capita have been obtained by using the mean resident population for the period.

Table 16.52 shows the changes in trends in the consumption of various foodstuffs since 1938-39.

16.52 APPARENT PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF FOODSTUFFS

Average three years ended

Commodity

Units

1938-39

1948-49

1958-59

1968-69

1978-79

1988-89

1996-97

1997-98

1998-99

Meat (carcass equivalent weight)

- Beef

kg

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

38.3

37.8

36.2

34.9

- Veal

kg

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

1.7

1.8

1.9

1.5

- Beef and veal

kg

63.6

49.5

56.2

40.0

64.8

40.0

39.6

38.1

36.4

- Lamb

kg

6.8

11.4

13.3

20.5

14.4

14.9

11.1

11.0

11.8

- Mutton

kg

27.2

20.5

23.1

18.8

3.6

7.3

6.0

5.7

4.5

- Pigmeat

kg

3.9

3.2

4.6

6.7

13.3

17.5

17.6

18.5

19.0

- Total meat

kg

101.5

84.6

97.2

85.9

96.1

79.8

74.2

73.3

71.6

- Offal and meat n.e.i.

kg

3.8

4.0

5.2

5.1

5.9

3.1

0.9

n.a.

n.a.

- Total meat and meat products (carcass equivalent weight)

kg

118.5

103.0

112.4

98.8

102.0

82.8

75.1

n.a.

n.a.

Canned meat (canned weight)

kg

1.0

1.2

1.9

2.2

1.6

n.a.

n.a

n.a.

n.a.

Bacon and ham (cured carcass weight)

kg

4.6

5.3

3.2

3.6

6.0

6.9

8.5

8.7

8.7

Poultry (dressed weight)(a)

kg

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

8.3

17.1

24.1

27.8

29.6

30.8

Milk and milk products

- Market milk (fluid whole litres)

L

106.4

138.7

128.7

128.2

100.5

101.7

104.2

103.0

102.4

- Cheese (natural equivalent weight)

kg

2.0

2.5

2.6

3.5

5.3

8.8

10.6

10.7

10.7

Oils and fats

- Butter

kg

14.9

11.2

12.3

9.8

5.1

3.2

2.8

2.8

2.9

- Margarine

kg

2.2

2.8

n.a.

4.9

8.5

9.0

6.6

6.7

6.4

- Table margarine

kg

0.4

0.4

n.a.

1.5

5.4

6.8

4.7

4.4

4.5

- Other margarine

kg

1.8

2.4

2.2

3.4

3.1

2.2

1.9

2.3

1.9

Beverages

- Tea

kg

3.1

2.9

2.7

2.3

1.7

1.2

0.8

0.8

0.9

- Coffee

kg

0.3

0.5

0.6

1.2

1.6

2.0

2.0

2.3

2.4

- Aerated and carbonated waters

L

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

47.3

67.4

87.4

114.4

109.0

113.0

- Beer

L

53.2

76.8

99.7

113.5

133.2

113.1

95.5

94.5

93.2

- Wine

L

2.7

5.9

5.0

8.2

14.7

20.2

19.0

19.7

19.8

- Spirits (litres alcohol)

L

0.5

0.8

0.7

0.9

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.3

1.2

(a) Excludes Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.